State Representative Mary Stuart Gile, one of Senator Dodd's strongest Granite State supporters, wrote the following Letter to the Editor that appeared in today's Concord Monitor:
Sen. Chris Dodd is my first choice for president because of his commitment to public service, families, children and national security. He has an outstanding legislative record and platform, especially his program for national service. His experience in the Peace Corps and the military and his 30 years in the U.S. Senate have provided the wisdom, judgment and leadership America needs.
Millions of children start school ready to learn everyday because of Dodd's tireless efforts to improve the availability and quality of Head Start. He is the leading advocate for children in Congress and was honored as the "Senator of the Decade" by the National Head Start Association.
In the last four years, thanks to Sen. Dodd, New Hampshire has received more than $53 million in Child Care Development Block Grant funds, providing scholarships for thousands of children and working families to attend quality child care and education and training for hundreds of New Hampshire child care providers.
Sen. Dodd's historic Family Medical Leave Act allows workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for illness, to care for a new child or sick family member. He sponsored the FIRE and SAFER Acts, providing $3 billion in federal assistance to fire departments across the United States. He also authored the Help America Vote Act, enabling individuals with disabilities to vote independently.
Sen. Dodd has been a leader in national security, foreign affairs, business and finance. He will bring integrity to the Oval Office, unite our nation and restore America's role as a beacon of freedom and democracy in the world.
